'Wasn't That Special' Season Four Bonus Material
As the Wasn’t That Special co-hosts watch each season of Saturday Night Live, they compare notes on each episode, chatting back and forth about both popular and long-forgotten sketches. Some of the topics they discuss make it to the final podcast; others are left on the cutting-room floor.
But for those of you who join at the Executive Producer level, you will have access to Christian and Scot’s behind-the-scenes notes, as well as bonus materials the co-hosts used to prepare for the episode.
Below is the Season Four bonus notes section, with the clips coming next week.
So please help keep the podcast advertisement-free and upgrade to the Executive Producer level, which will keep these emails coming in the future.
Episode One: The Rolling Stones
Scot: The show AVERAGES a 39 share this season. Explosion. No Michael O’Donoghue, no Marilyn Miller. Walter Williams (Mr. Bill) added as a writer. Laraine on Keith Richards: "It's nice to be standing and working next to a dead person." Richards had two appearances in sketches cut - no one trusted him.
Christian: Rolling Stones hosting was much better in theory than in practice.
Throwback NBC song and orchestra --- Garrett sings, girls back-up.
Scot: Oh, this is out-of-step for the show and a season debut and a Stones episode, but I love it so much.
Nerds -- Aykroyd as buttcrack-showing repairman.
Christian: Murray sings and actually manages to sneak some Nick the Lounge Singer into the Todd character - I think the crowd is a little stunned.
Scot: The crowd seems oddly out of it - until Aykroyd defies censors by letting pants hang down beneath his crack and stores pencil there.
Olympia - Wood & Watts are customers -Pete (Belushi) is in Greece to pick up $$.
Christian: Yeah, these are dead.
Scot: Garrett in drag for no particular reason -- this one clangs --- there's no end -- what is up with Pete?
Rolling Stones "Beast of Burden" --- "Respectable" --- "Shattered"
Scot: Jagger's voice is completely blown --- too much rehearsal and partying -- peaking too soon.
Schiller film "Sushi By the Pool" Quake at Hollywood party interrupts negotiation.
Christian: This is 1000% the inspiration for the pool scene in Boogie Nights, down to the use of "Got to Give it Up."
Scot: Fine, I guess.
Network Battle of the Ts and As
Christian: 15 year old boys in the 2020s even know you can't do this.
Scot: Nope nope nope not happening today.
Danger Probe! -- possible torture of mime and Hare Krishna
Christian: The pitch for this sketch: "What if we took a bunch of people who have nothing in common in the same room and had them say a bunch of things that weren't funny? Comedy magic!"
Scot: Filling time.
Episode Two: Fred Willard
Christian: Hurts to see such a bad episode with a host that should be so great.
Scot: Every male cast member's hair looks awful.
Two Guys Who Are Lawyers law firm commercial
Scot: Predicts the Two Men and a Truck model.
Christian: "How many times has this happened to you?"
Caller looking for "David" in middle of night --- David is Laraine's ex-boyfriend -- Willard in bed --- David calls, they hit it off.
Christian: What?
Scot: A confused piece of writing here.
On the Spot --- Mainway provides food for schoolchildren.
Christian: There is no new gear for these.
Scot: Aykroyd seems off all sketch.
Farbers -- Mrs. Farber talking to Mom on phone
Christian: Have there been more Farbers or Coneheads? An annoying person talking without jokes is just an annoying person talking.
Scot: Why do this? Why is there a Farber sketch without Belushi???
Belushi as Moab --- whoch god to pray to? --- trying to get out of killing son.
Christian: Um.
Scot: Weirdly without energy for E2 of a new season.
Scotch Boutique --- only sells tape
Scot: Novello wrote this --- meloncholic, serene, I ... think I should like it but not certain I do.
Christian: Olympia Cafe but with Scotch tape? Is this a better or worse business plan than starting an SNL podcast?
Devo - “Jocko Homo”
Christian: This is pre-MTV. Where would the American public see anything like this outside of SNL?
Episode Three: Frank Zappa
Christian: The opposite of the previous episode - a decent show with a bad host. Zappa was actually anti-drug and alcohol, so the cast hated him. Zappa pulls off the impressive combo of being both bad and smug.
Scot: Brian McConnachie as writer? --- not as terrible as expected, Zappa actually isn't in a ton of stuff anyway. Zappa had awful dress reheasal and decided to find humor in obviously reading cue cards in live show ---- Lorne was really upset.
Zappa reads cue cards, plays "Dancing Fool."
Christian: Zappa is "anti-entertainment" - in all senses.
Belushi in prison under home stairs playing harmonica -- Garrett is locked in closet -- upstairs prisoner riots -- kicks them out for being rude.
Christian: Laraine is a skeleton - it's not funny, but it's clever. As if McSweeney's was a sketch.
Scot: It's not hilarious but I like the concept so much.
Episode Four: Steve Martin
Festrunk Bros. at the bar.
Christian: Part of their appeal is being innocent dunces - pulling out a sex toy in a bar and admitting to paying prostitutes seems like a darker turn, making them less lovable - I pity the poor women of the late 70's who had men refer to them as "foxes" because of this sketch - the Borat of the time.
Nerds --- Lisa in hospital for deviated septum --- Garrett and Martin back again --- AND Garrett plays a nurse.
Christian: "I'm calling this your hope chest - keep hoping" - one of the best Nerds sketches. Really liked the fight between Murray and Martin. Morris is such a sweet nerd!
Scot: These are kind of "check the boxes" at this point.
Steve and Gilda "alone" at dinner --- waiter bothers them with catchphrases.
Christian: Spooky to hear Steve and Gilda talk about his girlfriend with the terminal illness - Aykroyd goes meta by doing "Wild and Crazy Guys" as the waiter.
Scot: Real life seeping into the writing, I'm sure. Apparently the episode went super long -- first time I've seen a sketch cut in the middle for a "technical problem."
Episode Five: Buck Henry
Christian: Liked this one - second best of the season behind Martin. The numbers don't lie.
Scot: I think this is the worst Buck episode so far --- so much feels uninspired.
Joke crawl over Buck's monologue --- teasing ideas for Carrie Fisher next week.
Christian: The punctuation errors on the crawl really throw me off.
Scot: You know, you look at the host list ... and they kinda DID end up with rotating hosts. Just not the ones they thought would work.
Samurai Optometrist
Christian: Is there an optometrist/optician rivalry? I was prepared to be disappointed with this one, and it's...really good!
Uncle Roy --- bachelor who watches the girls.
Christian: Lot to talk about with this one. Henry thinks it was actually a public service announcement that every family has an Uncle Roy - Laraine watched it with her daughter and was horrified at how skinny she was.
Scot: Beatts and Shuster sketch - what are we really laughing at here? The whole joke is Roy is turned on by young girls ... different than Stunt Baby, for example.
Nick the Lounge Singer
Christian: Murray singing "Shaft" was pretty funny - can Morris ever be in a sketch without a reference to the fact he's black? Like, can he just exist?
Scot: Nothing really happening here.
More Flu to Worry About
Christian: I appreciate the body/tourist metaphor, but no.
Knights of Columbus dinner --- Chico Escuela
Christian: As entertaining as watching an actual Knights of Columbus meeting.
Scot: Chico says two lines for $900 --- this meeting is a little too close to reality in places ... someone has attended these meetings.
Episode Six: Carrie Fisher
Scot: Darn good episode that ended with a clang.
Christian: Dissent. An uninspired episode only made watchable by Fisher.
Princess Leia dropping into 50s beach film --- Aykroyd as Vincent Price for some reason -- Carrie sings a Spector-type song.
Christian: This sketch brought to you by cocaine! One of the books said there was always a bias in favor of these long, all-cast bits because they chewed up a lot of time without all the trouble of having to build a whole new set.
Scot: What are we doing here?
“Tomorrow” with Tom Snyder with Fisher as Linda Blair -- talk about her cocaine arrest
Christian: Tom Snyder, Marquette University grad.
Scot: One of the better TOMORROWs, probably.
Belushi telling Navy stories in a French bar --- Murray walks in, won't buy women drinks, Fisher tries to sell them mutual funds as investments.
Christian: Clunky execution, but good premise. And I would buy anything Carrie Fisher told me to.
Scot: Totally decent sketch with a decent premise.
Episode Seven: Walter Matthau
Christian: Two clunkers in a row.
Scot: Random note - fewer mics in the shots this year.
Olympia -- roach on counter -- Coke rep tries to get them to switch from Pepsi.
Christian: RIP, Olympia
Scot: First Brian Doyle-Murray role? -- OK, at least there's a plot --- Matthau negotiating with Murray (who doesn't understand) -- I think that's Rosie with Gilda? --- "No Pepsi, Coke" genuine laugh line.
Matthau loves Mozart, Garrett sings for him
Christian: Great performance and a rare moment where they grant Garrett some dignity.
Matthau runs a surplus store --- Laraine visits ... canteens as disco purses ... her boyfriend isn't interested anymore.
Scot: There's something gentle and sweet about this despite Matthau's edge.
Episode Eight: Eric Idle
Scot: Note; Holy cow this is a man season. Loraine is in the background. Jane is minimized on WU. Had a chance to be an all-time episode but just not quite there. Still one of the best of the season for sure.
Idle monologue cue cards are late --- Idle says writers take too many drugs --- he goes to investigate.
Scot: Lorne drinking wine, doing interview --- John getting massage, says writers are jealous of him --- writer's room is hookah den --- there's something here where Belushi is lounging, complaining about nothing being written for him and Murray just taking charge, doing the work, and dragging Idle on stage -- the story is whatever.
Candy Slice -- Murray sharing coke with everyone --- Candy is out of it ... combing armpit hair..
Christian: Probably the best single performance by a cast member up to this point. Kaufman-esque. (And clearly a Patti Smith parody.)
Scot: Radner is absolutely incredible --- Gilda spits in Belushi's face, almost breaks -- the first really intelligible line is "If you look close, you can see my tits. Cause I want you to but don't want you to know that I do." --- Some real life coddling of talent likely is happening here (Belushi, ahem)
Cochise at Oxford --- Murray plays Cochise
Christian: Um.
Scot: I gotta tell you. I have *no idea* what's happening here.
Episode Nine: Elliot Gould
Scot: By this point, Belushi has #1 TV show, #1 movie, and #1 album in America (he told Lorne early in the season he would not be back.)
Christian: This episode is loaded up with duds - and for some reason there are a lot of open flames in this one.
Episode Ten: Michael Palin
Scot: One of the most average episodes ever, the numbers say.
Palin monologue - he has the wrong socks
Christian: 🙁
Nerds - the piano teacher that made a pass at her last time is back! Todd and Nick are morphing into the same character.
Christian: Time to freshen up the sayings - they're the same every time - the "Lisa’s father was born without a spine" joke is funny, but feels out of place - absurdism dropped into a character piece.
Scot: That's what I meant by "checking the boxes" earlier in these comments // HUGE pop for Nerds when they are on screen---back-half actually improves b/c it's not centered on the catchphrases.
What if? Superman grew up in Germany
Christian: This is the real nerds sketch - nerds in the writing room who have smoked a lot of weed. Belushi gets to pull out his Brando impersonation.
"Name the Bats" game show - Belushi and Radner put in a room with bats - set falls apart.
Christian: Stupid, and I loved it.
Scot: I like it less than you, but having the set fall apart mid-sketch earns some points.
F&D - Make sanitized porn for TV - for some reason, it involves Tom Landry.
Christian: Sigh.
Scot: They mention they are communists every time -- real question: Did anyone splice these together into an anti-Franken campaign ad? --- as F&D sketches go, not nearly the worst.
Mr. Bill goes to court - jury of all Sluggos
Scot: It's a good Mr. Bill, previewing the court fight between Walter Williams and Vance de Generes -- most prescient sketch!!
Episode Eleven: Cicely Tyson
Scot: It's the most Garrett show since ever.
Cast are afraid to tell Belushi his Mao sketch was cut - brags about being in the number one movie, record, and TV show - she accuses him of doing "a lot of heroin."
Christian: Eerie.
Scot: Looks like Belushi has lost some of that weight.
Morris starts monologue as Cicely Tyson, explains to her he has to play "all the parts darker than Tony Orlando."
Christian: Does the show being honest about what they're doing to Garrett excuse what they are doing to Garrett?
"Frontier Midwife" - Tyson shows up in frozen cabin, starts ordering people around.
Christian: The joke is they are going to rape her?
Scot: Ick.
Nick the Lounge Singer on a train
Christian: Paint by numbers. Never great, never bad.
Scot: This episode --- COASTING? Look at how many repeats and old sketches were brought back.
Ex-police
Christian: Same sketch every time, right down to the lines.
Scot: I don't usually mind these, but this one is so abrasive and violent. I'm not sure where you're supposed to laugh.
Episode Twelve: Ricky Nelson
Christian: Belushi now just getting bit parts. Harbinger of what's to come next week?
Scot: Belushi is not on-stage for Goodnights this show. Must have been tired from delivering scotch tape.
Murray as Chicago DJ - takes random calls, calls airline pilot.
Scot: It's a total Wally Phillips take. "People helping people ..." --- Belushi gets applause just for coming on screen.
Rock against Yeast - Aykroyd and Belushi are King 1 and 2 - Curtin as Dolly Parton - Candy slice plays anti-Mick Jagger song.
Christian: Not as strong as the first one, but points for attacking Jagger
Scot: "Biggest funked up fan" -- not what it sounds like quickly.
Episode Thirteen: Kate Jackson
Scot: Belushi partied 3 straight days with Keith Richards; nearly pummeled Franken for joking about not reading the script. Belushi threatened to quit if Delbert McClinton were not the musical guest; in the middle of sweeps, Lorne wanted bigger name.
Christian: Belushi is super sweet with the kids on the stage at goodnights.
Belushi as Fred Silverman, who is outed as a double agent - working for ABC to destroy NBC. The Angels agree to help - plan to shoot Johnny Carson.
Scot: This is layers deep. NBC thought Gilda was promised to them for a prime-time show to save the network but she pulled back at the last minute. Really burned Silverman. NBC had one show in the Top 24 this season (Little House); had 8 of the 9 worst rated shows on TV; SNL's success gave them leverage.
Laraine as child psychologist - an actual child.
Christian: Not much here more than the clever premise.
Andy Kaufman - yodels to bongos - backed by black band of drummers.
Christian: Weakest AK yet, still good.
Scot: Pretty sure that's what I look like when I dance.
Coneheads at the movies - Beldar smokes Belushi's joint, gets the munchies, laughs loud in movie.
Christian: Enough.
Scot: It is, in fact, the last Coneheads on SNL.
Episode Fourteen: Gary Busey
Christian: It says a lot when Gary Busey might be the stable one on the show this week.
Scot: He was not. No one could find him two minutes before air; was in a random dressing room, literally on set w/ seconds to air --- Belushi took him out partying all week, ran him down.
Busey says he wants to punch Belushi because he thinks he stole his Oscar nomination - goes to see spoiled Belushi in his dressing room.
Christian: Belushi is now a character on the show.
Scot: Jane: "I'd give anything if Belushi didn't talk to me."
"Women's Problems," with host Aykroyd and three male panelists - it's about the problems WITH women - Garrett "when they get old, they get ugly" - Busey can't pronounce "menstruation" - BDM asks why women can't climax - "It all depends on where the hot bone is located" - Murray breaks.
Christian: An extra point just for "hot bone" which made me laugh for a full minute.
Schiller movie - Murray is a drunk who drinks a potion that puts him on a stage performing Henry V.
Christian: Glimmers of Murray's future career as a great actor.
Scot: Awfully good. Schiller is showing some good instincts with these. Also, look, it's Murray's show now. Started in S3 and complete in S4.
Busey sings a song with his band.
Christian: I might now be sterile.
Episode Fifteen: Margot Kidder
Christian: One of Aykroyd's best episodes (among many.)
Scot: Kidder was a pretty darn good host actually.
Fred Garvin: Male Prostitute
Christian: Lived up to the hype - this is 100% a Farley or Mike Myers character if done in the 1990s.
Scot: Born out of an act that Dan would do for Rosie in the bedroom -- Great Lakes Feed and Grain is picking up the tab.
Superman and Lois host party --- Dan is Flash, Belushi is Hulk, Garrett is Antman -- Lois still can't ID Clark Kent --- Clark returns & forgets to change to Superman costume.
Christian: Belushi plays Hulk like Godzilla - a monster who's a real guy, with real guy problems.
Scot: Perfectly fine, if long. Ends on a weird note.
Episode Sixteen: Richard Benjamin
Scot: No Belushi. Can't fly back from California. Ear infection. Danny said, "Drive." Belushi shot film at Spieberg's house. Landis directed. Lounging in pool with models. Lorne did not use. Belushi thought Lorne was saying, "Fuck you. You're not part of the show."
By this point Murray is quite solid, even very good at WU. He knows how to work the angles. And the bit is his. Quality over quantity? Only three real sketches are inside the show.
Amazing Colossal President/Pepsi Syndrome sketch
Christian: This is incredible - nothing left on the editing floor, but it's all good.
Scot: Three Mile Island was 3/28/79 --- by this point Carter is played as an ineffective POTUS, interfering in matters big and small. China Syndrome movie (3/16/79) --- Carter meddles when he arrives at plant, tries to fix -- too full of himself to realize possible consequences.
A Bird For All Seasons (Aviva Slesin film) -- Murray as TV exec --- all shows/movies have birds.
Scot: I laughed a lot. The details in the bird scenes are so on point.
Episode Seventeen: Milton Berle
Christian: Total disaster.
Scot: Look at Belushi pushing Milt for an ovation during the credits --- this one is pretty much as bad as advertised.
On the Spot show with Jane --- Mainway runs kiddie parks -- Jane attacks him in the end.
Christian: Mainway is too apologetic now - character is changing.
Episode Eighteen: Michael Palin
Scot: "If you can't write well, write long" seems to be the motto of the season. Two (2!!) actual sketches all night long.
Family Classics --- Miles Cooperthwaite, Part Two (Chapter 2) -- on a gay ship (The “Raging Queen” -- more than 15 minutes long.
Christian: Sudden spike in sketches where the entire joke is dudes are gay - I guess Murray's doctor is sort of funny?
Scot: Sailors asking for punishment --- I dunno, at some point notes on this seem pointess.
Episode Nineteen: Maureen Stapleton
Idi Amin is a bad houseguest -- staying in Bill & Laraine's place.
Christian: "As soon as I return to power, I will pay the phone bill!" He kills political opponents and refuses to take phone messages.
Scot: Whoa. Out of nowhere, this one shines. Amin slaughtered an antelope in the kitchen and left a mess, loud torture, political opponents' bodies in the closet, can't pay phone bill -- Murray says check Village Voice for apartments -- Murray does "ad" for Essex House room service.
Black Perspective -- Jane & Belishi play Slovakian(?) Polish(?) immigrants.
Christian: In his second-to-last episode, Belushi effectively plays the same character in the "wolverines" sketch - full circle.
Scot: Everyone on stage is saying the N-word.
Another Novello mall sketch --- Mary's Candies -- 10 stores moving out this year.
Christian: If I want to be sad, I will just think about Maureen Stapleton's hosting.
Episode Twenty: Buck Henry
Scot: Not even Buck can save a show absolutely wheezing to the finish line -- there's something very wrong happening with the show right now. Murray is the only guy working for the show. Belushi is doing John Hollywood star stuff. Aykroyd is looking at Blues Bros. Gilda at Gilda Live. Laraine is checked out. Jane is only interested in Update. The last Belushi/Aykroyd moment is dancing off the Olympia set.
Ray's Disco Roller Skating Park -- Bill doing a bit of Danny here.
Christian: Improv 101 - what if we combined these unrelated things?
Scot: Eh.
Franken and Davis -- Al is Hare Krishna
Christian: Every podcast listener owes me an extra $10 for watching F&D - an invoice is forthcoming.
Scot: We watch this so you don't have to.
Not For Transexuals Only -- Buck and Laraine swap genitals.
Christian: Welp, we have our "couldn't be done now" winner.
Scot: I'm certain this was left on the rejected pile until Buck's show.